November 2003 Newsletter

Next Meeting

November Meeting Most Important
By Jim Fitz-Patrick

Our meeting this month is probably the most important meeting we have all year. This is because this is election night, where you select the officers and board members who will run your association for the next year or two.

In addition to the election, we will have the Executive Vice President of the New York State Builders Association (NYSBA) as our guest speaker. Philip LaRocque will tell us all that happens in Albany where his office is located. We look forward to a great attendance due to both the election and our featured speaker.

Our dinner will cost $20.00 inclusive. Reservations are required so we have proper seating arrangements and food preparation. Please call or fax Jim or Jenny at the Builder's office to make your reservations. Final time to reserve is noon on Monday, November 10, 2003. Please show your professionalism and make your reservation as requested.

Enclosed with this bulletin is a sample ballot, which will be used in the voting on November 12th. These are the slate of officers and board members selected by the nominating committee. Please note that we will be voting for six directors and there are eight candidates. Please be sure to vote for only six of the candidates since voting for more will make your ballot void.

We have six Board positions to fill since both Robert Minkiewicz (84 Lumber) and Catherine Wolf (National Fuel) are moving from the Board of Directors to the Executive Board. The four board candidates receiving the most votes will have a two year term ending December 31, 2005 and the other two will have a one year term ending December 31, 2004 to complete the term for Bob and Katie. Officers will serve for one year through 12/31/04. Both officers and board members will be installed at our annual Christmas party.

Nominations from the floor will be accepted and retired members are invited to cast their vote. If you are unable to attend dinner but would like to vote, stop by for a drink and complete your ballot. If you cannot attend the meeting, you can arrange to vote by absentee ballot on Monday, November 10th or Tuesday November 11th by contacting Jim Fitz-Patrick at 283-0557 or by stopping by the Builders office located at his home at 212 70th Street in Niagara Falls. Your completed ballot will be placed in a sealed envelope and given to the nominating committee on election night.

BuilderBooks.com

Are you in need of information to make contracts for your business? Through NAHB website, www.builderbooks.com you can secure a CD called Form Builder: Contracts containing over 70 of the most common used forms and contracts. The cost is $54.99 ($49.99 for members). You can order this item online at www.builderbooks.com or by phone at 1-800-223-2665. Please specify item #00180.

Seminar

Are you interested in knowing more about energy efficient lighting? The NYS Energy Smart Program with the NYSBA Research and Education Foundation and the RPI  Lighting Research Center are sponsoring this seminar on Tuesday, November 18, 2003 at the University Inn at 2402 North Forest Road in Amherst. Time of seminar is 9:00 am to 1:00 pm and the cost is $100 per person. A $30 discount is offered to members of this association. In addition, a $25 check will be received from NYSERDA for all attendees who complete the seminar and send proof of attending to NYSERDA. Final date to reserve for this seminar is Wednesday, November 12, 2003. Contact NYSBA REF at 518-465-2492 for further information or to register.

Welcome!

We extend a warm welcome to our newest member whose application for associate membership was approved by the Board of Directors on October 8, 2003. Approved was:

Please give these new members a call to see how you can do business together as members of the Niagara County Builders Association.

Opportunities Unlimited of Niagara

Opportunities Unlimited of Niagara needs our help in a couple of matters. They are handling the Holiday Gift Wrap Booth at Prime Outlet Mall again this year. This takes place beginning Friday, November 28th through Wednesday, December 24th. Many shifts are available and they sure need our help. For further information or to volunteer, please contact Valerie Camann, Manager of Special Events at 297-6400 ext. 256.

They also have a Thanksgiving Floral Sale through their Niagara Floral Center and Greenhouse located at 2510 Niagara Falls Blvd in Wheatfield. They are offering many floral pieces starting from $17.50. To place orders or for further information, please contact them at 731-5133 ext 244.

Christmas Party

Reserve the date of Wednesday, December 10, 2003 for our annual Christmas party. Chairpersons Stan & Lori Swogier (Swogier Construction) are planning another great party for us. It will be held at Suzanne's Fine Dining located on Niagara Falls Blvd and will cost $35 per person. We will have a super meal and another great basket auction with many fabulous gifts. Stan has also indicated that he is not buying any tickets this year since he still has several gifts from last year remaining. A special flyer will be sent out later this month with complete details. In the meantime, mark your calendars for the 10th of December for a super evening.

Congratulations!

We extend our sincere congratulations to David Paonessa of First Niagara Bank who was recently presented with the President's Award by the Niagara Street Area Business and Professional Association. Dave has been a member of our association for over 10 years and also served on the Board of Directors of the association. David presently serves as president of Neighborhood Housing Services, which assists low and moderate-income people in Niagara Falls become homeowners. Good going, Dave!

Credit Union

A benefit of belonging to the NCBA is that you can become a member of the credit union we are affiliated with, the Oxychem Niagara Federal Credit Union. For further information, call the Niagara Falls office at 284-4110 or the North Tonawanda office at 693-5140 or go to www.ioxy.org. Later this year the name of our credit union will be changing to Niagara's Choice FCU.

The International Builders Show

The 60th Annual Convention and Exposition will be held in the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas from January 19-22, 2004. This is an event you cannot afford to miss. Can you see yourself among 90,000 building industry professionals who will be there? You will have the opportunity to attend many of the other 200 seminars and also view more than one million square feet of exhibits from over 1400 product manufacturers. The keynote speaker will be former President George Bush who will give us his thoughts on the American economy and the world at large. A full registration will cost $350. However, any member of a builders association who has never attended the convention can attend for only $100, a savings of $250. If you would like to attend or need further information, please contact National Director Sil Barone at 693-0807 or Executive Officer Jim Fitz-Patrick at 283-0557.